Former Patriot Backs Mac Jones With Harsh Bill Belichick Take

The New England Patriots head into 2024 with a new era at the helm. Jerod Mayo is the new head coach, Eliot Wolf is the general manager, and Drake Maye was selected with the third overall pick in the NFL draft.

Before things shifted over to a new tenure, Bill Belichick was the lead man in charge. When Tom Brady left town in 2020, the Pats ended up drafting Mac Jones with the 15th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Things ended on such a sour note for Jones in New England but his former teammate Damian Harris believes Belichick caused Jones to fail.

Patriots News: Damien Harris Says Bill Belichick Was 'Stuck In His Ways'

Harris was a guest on a YouTube show with Robert Mays of The Athletic. The 27-year-old was discussing what went wrong with Jones' tenure in New England.

Harris believes one of the biggest mistakes was when the Pats switched offensive coordinators from Josh McDaniels to Matt Patricia.

"What happened to Mac Jones in New England, was not because of Mac Jones… (it) was because of the fact you took away an offensive coordinator who coached him to be a Pro-Bowler and almost coached us to winning our division. With a rookie quarterback… then you take Matt Patricia who’s coached defense his entire life."

- Damien Harris

As a rookie in 2021, Jones completed 67% of his passes for 3,801 passing yards with 22 passing touchdowns and 13 interceptions. New England finished the year 10-7 and notched a playoff berth. McDaniels ended up leaving to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders but the Pats didn't replace him with an adequate coach.

Jones' play dipped over the next two years with Patricia at the helm. The Alabama product tossed 5,117 yards with 24 passing touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

Belichick's ego got in the way, as he wanted to have his former coach on his staff, despite them not being productive at his job.

Harris added, "The breath of Mac Jones in New England — it came and went. It shouldn’t have (gone) the way that it went. The only reason that it did was because Bill Belichick, being stuck in his ways, was very much so ‘As long as I am here. As long as I am, along with Robert Kraft, the top dog at this organization… we will have success."

What Harris said is true, as the product on the field dramatically decreased when Brady left town in 2020. From 2020-2023, the Pats went 29-38.

It's interesting to hear the perspective of a player in the locker room, who saw the day-to-day interactions between Jones and the coaching staff.

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